Crisp wines with citrus flavours, such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Unoaked Chardonnay and Riesling, are excellent with Fish and Chips. In addition, Sparkling Wine and Dry Rosé are lovely with Fish and Chips as well!
With fish and chips and wine pairing, it’s best to focus on the fish aspect, as that’s where the money is, and a white wine is always going to pair best. The type of fish also makes a difference. Generally your options are Halibut (firmer texture, mild taste, buttery flavour), Haddock (mild, flakey, sweet and slightly fishy taste), and Alaskan Pollock (inexpensive and bland).
Get off my lawn warning
Great fish and chips also depend on how recent a restaurant’s deep fryer oil has been changed. Old oil will make your fish and chips taste burnt, absorb the flavours of anything else deep fried in the fryer (like onion rings, chicken tenders) and chemically smoky. No white wine or any beverage is going to save your fish and chips in this instance unfortunately. Such situations are rare, as a good chef will know when to change the oil, but it does happen.
Another pet peeve of mine is when fish and chips are wrapped in newsprint. I can’t say I’m a fan of French fries that taste like the Sunday funnies. And don’t get me started on wooden cutlery served with fish and chips, where every bite tastes like a popsicle stick. No wine will save you from either of these flavours (newspaper or woodenness) – avoid these restaurants or takeout places if these issues bother you.
Best Wine with Fish and Chips
Italian Pinot Grigio and Fish & Chips Pairing (Halibut)
Italian Pinot Grigio is a very popular white wine that you’ll easily be able to find by the glass in any pub or restaurant serving Fish & Chips. Pinot Grigio is so ubiquitous as it’s the Coors Lite of the wine world. Mild in flavour, Pinot Grigio serves up subtle flavours of lime, lemon, pear, apple and bitter almond. Because Pinot Grigio is so light, it’s not going to weigh you down should you decide to have Fish and Chips as a Friday Lunch or on a Good Friday afternoon.
What makes Pinot Grigio so good with Fish and Chips is that the zesty acidity of the wine washes the greasiness of the battered Fish away, allowing all the tender fish flavours and textures to shine through. Pinot Grigio is particularly great with Halibut, as the flavours of the fish are already mild, thus, if you pair a more flavourful white wine with it, like Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc, you might miss out on those subtle sweet flavours.
If you find Pinot Grigio too light, or your fish and chips are Haddock or Pollock go for a Pinot Gris if you can find it. Pinot Gris has bolder flavours that will make the pairing more interesting, but will lack some of that zippy acidity that Pinot Grigio delivers.
Will the Pinot Grigio pair well with the chips aspect. Nah, not really, but no white wine is really all that amazing with French Fries. Pinot Grigio won’t make your French fries taste any better, but it will keep your mouth refreshed, so you won’t get bogged down by the deep fried saltiness of your food.
Picpoul de Pinet and Fish & Chips Pairing
Picpoul de Pinet is a white wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Made from the Picpoul grape, this wine is crisp and refreshing with bright acidity, subtle minerality, and notes of citrus and green apple. It is often described as the perfect wine to enjoy on a warm summer day, and it pairs exceptionally well with deep-fried seafood due to its high acidity and mineral character.
Picpoul de Pinet will go great with either Halibut or Haddock Fish and chips. The wine’s bright acidity and crispness cut through the rich and oily flavours of the battered Fish, while its mineral notes complement the saltiness of the chips. The wine’s citrus and green apple notes also enhance the flavours of the tartar sauce and malt vinegar that are typically served with the dish.
The downside is that this is not an easy wine to remember, say, or find on wine lists and maybe even certain wine shops (most likely a grocery store won’t even carry this wine). This also isn’t a wine you’ll find by the glass (or even by the bottle) at a restaurant, and definitely not a pub. Picpoul de Pinet is for takeout fish and chips, or a wine that respects takeout.
Picpoul translates to “stings the lip,” which is rather fitting due to the wine’s high acidity and bone-dry body. Picpoul de Pinet is also not an easy wine to hunt down, and I only mention it for those of you who want something different. Acceptable substations for Picpoul de Pinet would be a dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc for pairing with Fish and chips.
Sauvignon Blanc with Pub Style Fish & Chips (Haddock)
Haddock has a fishier taste, which isn’t as appreciated as much in North America as it is in England (where Haddock is their fish of choice for fish and chips). Sauvignon Blanc, with is zippy tartness, and flavours of citrus, gooseberry, grapefruit and tropical fruit help mask these fishier flavours while also bringing the mild sweet flavours of your fish to the forefront.
Adding Sauvignon Blanc is always like squeeze of lemon to your dish, as this is an acidic white wine. Acidity sheers through the deep fried breading, and also comes across as refreshing against the salts and fats, making it easier to taste the actual fish.
Sauvignon Blanc will work just as well with Halibut, however, I do feel it will mask some of those tender sweet flavours of the fish. It’s not a huge deal, but this is a blog about food and wine pairing, and fussy old men like me love to nitpick the tiniest details about such things.
Cava Paired with Fish & Chips
Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine known for its crisp acidity, effervescence, and bright fruit flavours, making it an excellent pairing for various dishes, including Fish and Chips.
The crisp acidity of Cava helps cut through the fried Fish’s richness, while its effervescence helps cleanse the palate after each bite. The wine’s bright fruit flavours, such as green apple, pear, and citrus, complement the flavours of the Fish and Chips, enhancing their natural sweetness and making them taste even more delicious. In addition, Cava’s toasty, mineral and yeasty flavours complement the salt, fat, and heavy carbs of both the deep-fried Fish & Chips.
The majority of Sparkling wines will pair exceptionally well with Fish and Chips, however, you might not find it served by the glass at a pub. Thus, I’d say Cava is more appropriate for takeout Fish and Chips. Think ahead if you go in this direction and make sure your bottle of Cava is chilled so it’s nice and cold. Takeout Fish and Chips are time sensitive, in that the longer you wait to eat them, the soggier (and less appealing) they get!
Prosecco, Champagne and any bubbly wine will work with Fish and Chips just as well Cava (provided the sparkling wine isn’t sweet). I am highlighting Cava here as it is not overly expensive and of good quality.
Unoaked Chardonnay & Fish and Chips Pairing
Unoaked chardonnay is a type of chardonnay wine that is not aged in oak barrels, resulting in a wine that is lighter and crisper in style than its oaked counterpart. This wine is known for its bright acidity, crispness, and fresh fruit flavours, which make it an excellent pairing for a wide range of seafood dishes, including Fish and chips.
The acidity and crispness of unoaked chardonnay help cut through the richness of the fried Fish, while the fresh fruit flavours complement the flavours of the dish. The wine’s citrus notes, in particular, pair well with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges often served with Fish and Chips, enhancing the dish’s overall flavour.
Furthermore, unoaked chardonnay is an excellent choice for those who prefer a lighter and less oaky style of wine. Its bright and fresh character makes it a refreshing and easy-to-drink wine, which is perfect for a casual meal like Fish and Chips.
If you are serving Halibut, I’d recommend a classier Chablis (which is an unoaked Chardonnay from France), as an elegant fish (that can run you up to $20 a piece) warrants a well-crafted white wine. Chablis is also great with Haddock, but you’re also going to find many regional unoaked Chardonnays that match the price range of Haddock (which runs about $10-$14 a piece).
Alaskan Pollock Fish & Chips and Pear Cider Pairing
Pollock is fish for people who don’t like fish. It’s not overly flavourable, and kind of doesn’t taste like much of anything at all. If you’ve ever ate Fish and Chips at a fast food restaurant or paid under $5 for fish at a food truck, it’s most likely Alaskan Pollock.
Pear Cider goes very well with Alaskan Pollock Fish and Chips as it adds a lot of flavour to the dish. Also, it’s incredibly refreshing, with its orchardy pear flavours and crisp, but subtle carbonation (some Pear Ciders are flat, and they will go great with fish and chips as well).
Any of the wines mentioned above will also go great with Alaskan Pollock Fish and Chips, but I kind of feel like you’d be wasting your money with wine as they won’t make the pollock taste any better. Whereas a chilled can of Pear Cider, you’re not investing much (a can of cider is cheaper than a glass/bottle of wine), and the breading of the fish will absorb the strong, but delicious pair flavours.
If cider isn’t your thing, beer, particularly a maltier beer like Guinness, although ale and lager will work okay, with Pollock Fish and Chips.